Method of and apparatus for



1 2 Sheets-Sheet '1.

J. H. KELMAN.

METHOD OP AND APPARATUS POR APPLYING JAPAN.

Patented July 20 1897.

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J. H. KBLMAN. MBTHUD 0F AND APPARATUS POR APPLYING JAPAN. No. 586,555.Patented July 20, 1897.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR: M5L/ Jahn EIdmam.

@ u BY ATTOR N EY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN II. KELMAN, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING JAPAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,555, dated J' uly20, 1897'. Application tiled March 29, 1897. Serial No. 629,795. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it iii/(ty concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. KELM'AN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Method of andApparatus for Applying and IIardening Coatings of BakingJapan and otherMaterials Having Like Drying Qualities to Continuous Lengths ofMaterial, of which the following is a specication.

My process and appara-tus relate to the making of extended continuouslengths of copper or similar electrical conductor insulated with japanor other similar insulating` material, also to the making of extendedcontinuous lengths of oiled cloth or oiled tape or to coating otherextended continuous lengths to which it may be desired to apply similarcoatings.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and useful method of andmeans for applying baking-japan and other coatings having similar dryingqualities to extended continuous lengthsas, for instance, to an extendedlength of copper or other similar electrical conductors-whatever thelength may be, so that they may be formed into flexibly-insulated coils,the helices being separated and having smooth and uniform coatings, orfor making extended continuous lengths of oiled tape or oiled cloth, sothat they may have the oil applied and hardened uniformly and be made ofany length.

My method and apparatus are of particularly great importance in themaking of electrical conductors insulated with what is known asbaking-japan, as I have discovered that by it a thin coating of suchjapan can be applied to an electrical conductor, such as copper, soflexible that the conductor can be made into coils for generators andtransformers and similar apparatus without further insulation, and thatthe insulation afforded by this iiexible coating under the strains towhich insulation in such relations is subject is almost ideal in that itis very uniform, is of little bulk, is of very high ohmic resistance anddielectric strength, and has practically no fault-s and can easily be applied to conductors of any shape. Moreover, it does not containsubstances which attack the metal of the conductor or tend to make theinsulation break down under such action.

My apparatus and method afford a means and a way of making suchflexibly-insulated conductors, so that they may be of any lengthwhatever and so that the coating will be uniform and perfect throughout.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a partly-sectional andpartlydiagrammatic View of an apparatus embodying my invention, and Fig.2 a section of an ozone-generator S on the line l l. Fig. shows,diagram* matically, a suitable tinning apparatus.

The following description taken therewith sets forth my new apparatusand method.

In the drawings, Fig. 1,'D represents a continuous length of material tobe coated and for the present description maybe considered to be a coilof copper wire, preferably tinned, mounted upon a reel E. The wire Dfrom this coil is passed around a pulley F in a closed chamber O and upthrough an orifice g in a plug or projection G at the bottom of thevessel G, containing a bath of the material for the insulating-coveringand preferably havin g a cover g. It then passes through the orifice IIinto a hardening-chamber I. This chamber I is built to retain heat andto keep out as much light, either natural or artilicial, as possible,since by my process the best insulation is made when all light is absentfrom both the hardening-chamber I and the chamber O. In this chamber I,which is a heated hardening-chamber, the wire D', after being coatedbypassing through the bath in the vessel G, is subjected to the actionof ozone or heat, or both, which hardens the material adhering to thewire after its pas sage through the bath. It then passes out through theorifice J and over the pulley K, after which it passes over theidle-pulley L to the reel M. The pulley F is encircled part way by thewire and has a friction-brake N, which makes the pulley F act as atension upon as well as a guide for the wire D. The pulley K is made torevolve at a slow rate of speed by power from some convenient source, asP, and draws the wire D' upward through the chamber I. The reel M ismade to revolve sufficiently fast to take up the wire as it Acomes toit, being driven from some convenient source of power, as P, by afriction TOO y connection Q, which permits it to adjust its rotation tothe speed of the wire.

Directly below the chamber I is the closed chamber O, which preferablyshould be of size large enough to permit a man to enter. Within thischamber is the vessel G, containing the bath, a suitable composition forwhich when it is desired to make the flexibly-insulated conductor abovereferred to the following is a suitable formula, to wit: one hundredpounds asphaltum gum, ten gallons boiled .linseed-oil, five poundsgum-animo, fifteen gallons turpentine, and turpentine sufficient to keepit at thevnecessary thickness for the desired coat. Any commercialbaking-japan will, however, answer the purpose, the more flexible andtough when hardened the better. A bat-h of linseed-oil makes a verysatisfactory insulation. By the addition of turpentine or other similarfluid it should be kept at the proper degree of iiuidity to result in asmooth coat of the desired thickness. (In case oiled cloth or oiled tapeare being made the bath should consist of linseed-oil or suchcomposition as it may be desired to apply.) The orifice g through thesmall plug or projection Gr is of a size to just permit the free passageof the wire D. In making conductors insulated with japan in order tomaintain the bath in proper condition the temperature of the contents ofthe vessel is maintained at about 200O Fahrenheit, preferably by anelectric heating device T3, which also heats the conductor D from thecoil somewhat before it reaches the bath.

The chamber I, when ozone is used, is kept saturated with ozone suppliedby ducts R R from the ozone-generator S. This chamber I is kept heated,so that at the bottom the temperature is about 250o Fahrenheit and atthe tcp 375". The chamber O is also preferably supplied with ozone bythe duct R2, so that the coating is acted on somewhat before it reachesthe highest temperature of the cliamber I. The heating I prefer toaccomplish by the joint action of a steam-pipe T and electrical heatersT 2 T2 T3, which are controlled by switches, preferably by manualswitches IV and also by automatic thermostatic switches IV', so as toautomatically regulate the temperature. By this means if the differencein temperature between the top and the bottom of the chamber due to thetendency of heated air to ascend is not that desired the heaters at thetop can be adjusted so as to make the upper part of the chamber stillhotter, or vice versa. The length of the chamber I is geverned by thelength of the conductor to be coated that can be drawn by the pulley Kfrom the reel E without stretching, a greater length of chamberpermitting greater speed of the conductor without shortening the time Iduring which it is subjected to the action in the hardening-chamber.

The ozone-generator have used generates a sufficient quantity of ozone,and consists of a chamber Y, containing two sets of opposingconducting-plates U' U', separated by thin coatings of a dielectric V,such as a coating of enamel or japan, on their opposing surfaces. Thealternate plates are connected, respectively, to the terminals of acircuit of high alternating potential. A fan Z or other similar means isprovided for drawing or forcing a current of air between the plates U'U' and into the ozone-chamber I. The air as it passes between the platesU U is acted upon by the electric discharge and part vof it convertedinto ozone. This ozonized air then passes into the chambers I and O,escaping at the orifices through which the wire passes and at otherpoints, if necessary. As shown, the generator X, through thetransformers Z Z, supplies electricity to the ozone-generator S and theheaters T2, T2, and T3.

The action upon the covering on the wire in the heated ozone-chamber isas follows: The heat soon volatilizes any volatile parts of the coating,while at the same time the ozone, rendered more active by the heat,oxidizes the linseed-oil contained therein in the absence of any light.This process of oxidation being of a different nature from evaporationleaves no pores in the covering, but, on the contrary, makes a coveringwithout pores and of a tough, iieXible, and semiclastic character. Asany portion of the now covered wire reaches the upper portion of thehardening-chamber I it is subjected to an increased temperature, whichtends to still further harden the covering. The higher degrees of heatat the upper part of the chamber tend to decompose the ozone, but thecirculation in the chamber being upward keeps the upper part suppliedwith ozone. If it is desired that the covering be subjected to theaction of heat and ozone for a longer period, the conductor may be madeto traverse the hardening-chamber for a second time. TheiieXibly-insulated eonductorafter the coating is sufficiently hardenedis reeled, making the completed coil. Should it be desired to make theinsulation thicker than can be done by passing the conductor through thebath and chamber but a single time, the first operation can be repeatedupon the flexibly-insulated conductor until the several coats make thedesired thickness. Incase the substance to be coated is such that itwill not be injured by a higher degree of heat than that above named Imay subject it to as much as C50o Fahrenheit. In such a case, since theozone would be at once decomposed, I omit the ozone and rely only on theheat for hardening. I may omit the ozone at lower temperatures.

Vhen a copper conductor is used, it should preferably be tinned beforeit is coated. This assists very materially in obtaining a smooth andeven coat, as the insulating material adheres more readily to the tinnedsurface than it does to the copper surface. The tinning is done in theordinary way by any of the ordinary apparatus for tinning wire now inuse.

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The apparatus above described to obtain the best results should be runcontinuously twenty-four hours a day, new reels being supplied andjoints soldered While in operation. The speed at which the wire movesshould be such that the coating will be Well hardened before it leavesthe ozone-chamber.

The drawings show but one wire passing through the chamber I. Inpractice, however, as large a number of Wires are run through as can beWithout interference, to do which the number of reels, pulleys, baths,the., is increased accordingly.

The metallic portions of the conductor may be of almost any shape. Incase the apparatus is to be used for making oiled cloth or oiled tape orapplying any composition to other continuous lengths it is onlynecessary that the bath be made with the proper material and kept at theproper thickness for the desired coating, and that the orifice in theprojection G' and to permit passage into and out of the chamber I bemade to correspond in shape to a section of the substance to which thematerial is to be applied, and that continuous lengths of fabric orother material suitable for the base of the desired product be passedthrough the apparatus, coated Wit-h the material from the bath, andexposed With its coating in the ozone-chamber. The process in such casesis the same as that above described, with the exception of the tinning,which is an auxiliary and preliminary step which may be and preferablyis used in the case of coating with japan or oil a continuous length ofcopper conductor for electrical purposes.

A suitable tinning apparatus is shown in Fig. 3. Any other tinningapparatus for tinning continuous lengths may be used. In that shown 3 isa reel of Wire to be tinned. is a containing vessel containing muriateof zinc or other suitable preparation. 5 is a pulley under which theWire is drawn and by which it is kept for a time submerged in the heatedmetal bath 6. 7 is a guide-roller over which it passes to theWashing-table, Where it iis kept by the roller S underneath iiowin watersupplied by pipe 9 and carried off by pipes lO l0. It then passesthrough the die ll and around the drawing-cylinder l2, which may berotated by any suitable means.

The vertical chamber I and the passing of the lengths through it in avertical position have an advantage and are preferred, since the coatingunder suoli circumstances distributes itself more evenly and smoothlywhile being acted upon by the ozone.

The flexibly-insulated conductor referred to as being coated by theprocess described above forms the subject-matter of another applicationexecuted by me, Serial No. 013,483, led November 27, 1896.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isn l. The process ofapplying and hardening coatings of japan or other materials havingsimilar drying qualities to articles of eXtensive lengths consisting incontinuously passing a continuous length of the article to be coatedthrough a bath of the material to `be applied, and then through ahardening-chamber, and subjecting succeeding portions ofthe coatedarticle While in said hardeningchamber to the action of heat ofcontinuously-in,- creasing temperature, substantially as described.

2. The process of applying and hardening coatings of japan or othermaterials having similar drying qualities to articles of extensivelengths consisting in continuously passing a continuous length of thearticle to be coated through a bath of the material to be applied, andthen through a vertical hardening-chamber and subjecting succeedingportions of the coated article While in a Vertical position tothe actionof heat of continuouslyincreasing temperature, substantially asdescribed.

3. The process of applying and hardening coatings of japan or othermaterials having similar drying qualities to articles of eXtensivelengths consisting in continuously passing a continuous length of thearticle to be coated through a bath of the material to be applied, andthen through a vertical hardening-chamber and subjecting succeedingportions of the coated article While in a vertical position to theaction of heat of continuouslyincreasing temperature with ozone,substantially as described.

4. The process of applying and hardening coatings of japan yor othermaterials having similar drying qualities to extensive lengths of copperor other similar electrical conductor which consists in first tinningsaid conductor, then passing it through a bath of the material to beapplied and then through a hardeningchamber and subjecting succeedingportions of the coated conductor While Within said hardening-chamber tothe action of heat of continuously -increasing temperature,substantially as described.

5. An apparatus for applying and hardening coatings of japan or othermaterials having similar drying qualities, consisting of a verticalhardening-chamber, and :means for supplying heat ot'continuously-increasing temperature to the same, a bath of the materia-lto be applied, and means for continuously passing extended lengths ofthe article to be coated through said bath and vertically through saidhardeningchamber, whereby successive portions of the article are coatedand the coating hardened While subjected to the action of heat ofcontinuously-increasing temperature, substantially as described.

G. An apparatus for applying and hardening coatings of japan or othermaterials having similar drying qualities, consisting of a verticallight proof ozone chamber, and means for supplying heat ofcontinuouslyincreasing temperature to the same, an ozonegenerator4supplying ozono to said chamber,

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' increasing temperature, substantially as described.

JOHN H. KELMAN.

Witnesses:

P. W. GOEWEY, F. M, PLATT.

